San Francisco Homelessness in the Media 2010 (January to June)
Homelessness in San Francisco came under increased media attention in mid-2007, especially through an ongoing series in The Chronicle. This page will provide links and summaries of those stories, as well as other sources, in order to give SFHomeless.net users an overview and ready access. This page is meant as a resource. Please do not use summaries as a place to voice opinions or make judgments. Please feel free to add links to stories that deal specifically with SF Homelessness published since Summer 2007. Thank you. 5/12/10 - San Francisco Chronicle - Kevin Fagan "Why Laura's Law has had limited impact" Summary: Ad hoc interest groups of doctors, patients, and police want to enforce a law statewide that "allows a judge to order a patient to take medication under supervised treatment." They claim that this will stabilize the lives of mentally ill homeless persons who are unable to care for themselves. City supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier wants Laura's Law enforceable in San Francisco. 5/11/10 - KTVU "Jessica's Law Leaves SF Sex Offenders Homeless" Summary: California parole officers report that "Jessica's Law -- the 2005 state law aimed at protecting California kids from sex offenders -- has made every recently paroled sex offender in San Francisco homeless and more difficult to track." 5/11/10 - San Francisco Chronicle - C.W. Nevius "Moderates must stand up to rhetoric on sit/lie" Summary: Nevius comments on Board of Supervisors committee hearing on the Sit/Lie proposals which he predicts will be a defining issue for the city. 5/10/10 - New America Media - Viji Sundaram "California's Kids Fall Deeper into Poverty, Homelessness" Summary: Grim statistics about growing poverty and homelessness among California's children. 5/10/10 - SF Appeal - Bay City News "Supes Postpone Decision On Sit-Lie Law" Summary: After nearly seven hours debating sit-lie ordinance proposals, a San Francisco Board of Supervisors committee resolved to continue debating them on May 24. 5/10/10 - Los Angeles Times - Lee Romney "No block party in San Francisco" Summary: Dynamics of San Francisco's proposed Sit/Lie ordinance discussed with focus on the Haight Asbury neighborhood and comparison to similar ordinances in LA and elsewhere. 5/9/10 - San Francisco Chronicle - Justin Berton "Man found hurt at BART station dies at hospital" Summary: Injured and unconscious man in BART station was ignored because people thought he was a homeless man. He died later. 5/9/10 - New York Times - Sylvia Rubin "What’s in a Name? A Lot, as It Turns Out" Summary: Plagued by family homelessness, San Francisco native gets a new identity after spending 19 years of his life without an official first or middle name. 5/7/10 - San Francisco Chronicle - Sylvia Rubin "Designers recycle rags into fashion for charity" Summary: Article about "Discarded to Divine" fundraiser and live auction held at St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco on April 29 for the St. Vincent de Paul Society. 5/4/10 - KTVU.com - "Supervisor Proposes Alternative To Controversial Sit-Lie Ordinance" Summary: San Francisco supervisor Chiu proposes a neighborhood-based community justice model as an "alternative" or "complement" to Mayor Newsom's proposed Sit/Lie ordinance legislation. 5/4/10 - Denver Post - Al Lewis "America's housing market needs Mercy" Summary: Sister Lillian Murphy, the CEO of Mercy Housing, has a fascinating perspective to relate to the author who interviews her about her tenant who was recently arrested for making threatening telephone calls to Nancy Pelosi. 5/4/10 - nazret.com - "Ethiopian American High School senior wins San Francisco Human Rights Award" Summary: Mikias Wondyfraw received the City and County of San Francisco Human Rights Award on April 29, 2010. In addition to other outstanding accomplishments, he spent 10 hours a week serving food and blankets in homeless shelters. 5/4/10 - OregonLive.com - The Oregonian Editorial Board "Don't let downtown turn into a panhandlers' paradise" Summary: Editorial argues for measures against panhandling and sidewalk blocking so that Portland, Oregon will not become like San Francisco. 5/3/10 - Highline Times - Julia Livingston "Service to others makes Megan state's top high school student" Summary: Portrait of an altruistic 19-year-old, Megan Johnson, who was motivated to help the homeless after seeing a video about homeless living in San Francisco. 5/3/10 - PopWatch - Clark Collis "'Touching Home': How two Hollywood nobodies convinced Ed Harris to play their father in 2010's most heartfelt movie" Summary: Background to a new film that tells the story of a homeless father who died in the Marin County jail. 5/3/10 - CBS5.com - "Protesters Cited In SF Building Takeover Attempt" Summary: "Fifteen people were cited for trespassing and two for vandalism during a demonstration in San Francisco's Mission District late Saturday, police said." 5/2/10 - Examiner.com - Thomas Pendergast "Anarchists occupy abandoned school for May Day, 11 arrested say police" Summary: "Anarchists" occupy an abandoned school hoping to claim if for the homeless. The demonstration ended after two hours and several arrests. 5/1/10 - SFAppeal - Bay City News "Protest That Closed Mission Streets Criticized For Lack Of Message, Strategic/Ideological Soundness" Summary: At least 50 protesters calling themselves Mission Free State attempted to occupy a building at 1950 Mission St. and open it as a homeless shelter and free school. "The group said the occupation was a response to the planned closure of a homeless shelter at 150 Otis St., as well as state furloughs, budget cuts and elimination of programs at San Francisco State University and University of California at Santa Cruz." 5/1/10 - TheWesternAddition.com - Evelyn Gurzi "Peet's contributions nourish community, support employee volunteerism" Summary: Peet's Coffee build customer loyalty partly by giving to charity and encouraging employees to volunteer in their communities. One 19-year old employee in San Francisco, for example, raises money for the homeless. 5/1/10 - Miami Herald - James H. Burnett III "Former addict hopes to revive treatment center" Summary: John Schmidt works to replicate San Francisco's Delancey Street treatment model in Miami, Florida. 5/1/10 - SF Chronicle - Rachel Gordon "S.F. garden to help feed the homeless" Summary: An unemployed engineer in San Francisco inspires a nationwide project to grow sustainable food, build community, and feed the homeless. 4/30/10 - StoptheDrugWar.org - "Feature: First Drug User Union Forms in San Francisco" Summary: The Drug Policy Alliance Network gives $35,000 grant to the Harm Reduction Therapy Center in San Francisco to assist harm reduction efforts. 4/30/10 - SF Examiner - Mike Aldax "Marina housing irks community" Summary: Details of plan to house youth at risk of homelessness outrages neighborhood. 4/30/10 - St. Petersburg Times - John Fleming "Life imitates art in troupe leader's tragic demise" Summary: Recollection of Charles McCue, who died homeless in San Francisco March 20, 2010, when he was young and full of promise. 4/29/10 - Contra Costa Times - Tony Hicks "Dana Carvey is still a comedy icon" Summary: Bay Area native Dana Garvey who found fame as "The Church Lady" loves to help others-- including the homeless. 4/29/10 - San Francisco Bay Guardian Online - Rebecca Bowe "Meet the proponents of sit / lie" Summary: Article unveils prominent proponents of the proposed sit/lie ordinance. 4/23/10 - Fog City Journal - Hope Johnson "Stay Tuned: The Devil’s in the Sit/Lie Details" Summary: An analysis of a plan to ask San Francisco voters to approve a measure to make sitting or lying on sidewalks illegal. 4/22/10 - SF Chronicle - John Wildermuth "Homeless veterans may get a place of their own" Summary: The nine-story building at 150 Otis will be converted into a permanent living space for homeless veterans. 4/20/10 - Huffington Post - Tanene Allison "Criminalizing the Poor: A San Francisco Value?" Summary: Harvard educated essayist who was homeless and worked at City Hall when Mayor Newsom was a city supervisor opposes his proposal for a sit/lie ordinance. 4/20/10 - Examiner.com (Los Angeles) - Joel John Roberts " A senior problem, older homeless adults increasing in America" Summary: More homeless are older. Tidbit about homeless in San Francisco: "San Francisco showed an increase of the percent of homeless persons over the age of 50, from 11.2 percent to 32.3 percent in a span of about 8 years." 4/19/10 - VOANews.com - Rhonda Miller "Homeless Take Refuge Among the Bookshelves" Summary: The San Francisco Public Library offers a full-time social worker for the homeless. 4/13/10 - SF Chronicle - Kevin Fagan "Father Louie doing fine in prison" Summary: Update on SFGate Crime Page about St. Boniface Church's Rev. Louie Vitale who was jailed for protesting against the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, formerly the School of the Americas, at Ft. Benning Georgia. 4/12/10 - Borderzine- Mireya Toy "The Invisible Tragedy of Homelessness" Summary: Short but comprehensive view of homelessness in America today (mentions proposed sit/lie law that will likely target the homeless in San Francisco). 4/4/10 - The Independent - Guy Adams "San Francisco goes all prim and proper" Summary: "The city's mayor wants to stop people 'hanging' on the streets of the hippie haven. Will he destroy the essence of the place?" 4/2/10 - SF Chronicle - Robert Hurwitt "Theater producing director Charles McCue dies" Summary: Former producing artistic director of the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival dies homeless in San Francisco at age 51. 3/31/10 - SF Chronicle - Heather Knight "Community Justice Center a year later" Summary: The CJC is a year old and several success stories are profiled. 3/30/10 - Fog City Journal - Luke Thomas "San Franciscans Protest of Sit/Lie Ordinance" Summary: One thousand people protested the proposed sit-lie law last Saturday using creative and artistic demonstrations. 3/29/10 - SF Weekly - Lauren Smiley "Protesters Sit and Lie On Sidewalk So You Can Do The Same" Summary: Coverage of the protest of sit-lie on Saturday. 3/29/10 - BeyondChron - "Open Letter from Religious Leaders Opposing Sit/Lie Proposal" Summary: Priests, rabbis, pastors, and other religious leaders write letter to Police Chief and Mayor opposing sit-lie law. 3/28/10 - SF Chronicle - Heather Knight "Seattle has lessons for S.F. on street safety" Summary: 10 years ago Seattle passed a sit-lie law, under similar circumstances that SF is in, and their history with the law since then might help SF understand the future if it passes here. 3/27/10 - SF Examiner - Brent Begin "Haight at center of sit-lie debate" Summary: A new city controller memo says local residents of the Haight are increasingly unhappy and use this as evidence for the sit/lie law. 3/27/10 - SF Chronicle - John Cote "Protests in S.F. against sit/lie law" Summary: People sat and sunbathed on the sidewalk to protest the proposed sit/lie law. 3/11/10 - SF Chronicle - Mission Local "Police Commission Hears Testimony on Sit-Lie" Summary: A very good description of the testimonies given at yesterday's Police Commission hearing regarding the details of the proposed Sit-Lie law. 3/11/10 - SF Examiner - Melissa Griffin "Revelations about sit-lie" Summary: Different US cities and their approaches to laws targeting the homeless. 3/5/10 - SF Examiner - Ken Garcia "Supervisors backed into a corner" Summary: Board of Supervisors will decide on Sit-Lie law, but law may end up on November ballot anyway. 3/4/10- SF Examiner - Melissa Griffin "Let Portland be lesson for The City" Summary: The Portland Sit-Lie law is an inspiration for SF's Sit-Lie law, and there are concerns that SF's proposed law might be overruled by court as it was in Portland. 3/4/10 - SF Chronicle - CW Nevius "Sit/lie law won't trip up tourists" Summary: Sit-Lie law supporters say the law will only target thugs and not non-thugs like tourists. 3/4/10 - SF Chronicle - Heather Knight "Blunt words for business" Summary: Mayor Newsom told business leaders at a breakfast meeting that homeless advocates are influencing policy on homeless issues, and business leaders need to speak up to be heard. 3/3/10 - SF Chronicle - Editorial "Stand up for public safety on sit/lie ordinance" Summary: Chronicle editors favor Sit-Lie law to address thug issue, dismiss idea that it criminalizes homelessness. 3/2/10 - SF Chronicle - Heather Knight "Mayor to introduce 2 plans for sit/lie law today" Summary: Details and reasons for the mayor's Sit-Lie law. 3/2/10 - SF Examiner - Joshua Sabatini and Erin Sherbert "Mayor Newsom steps into sit-lie arena" Summary: Newsom introduces a Sit-Lie law based on Seattle's law. Business leaders support it, others have complaints for different reasons. 3/1/10 - SF Examiner - Brent Begin "Haight Street sit-lie debate moves indoors" Summary: City Hall to debate the proposed Sit-Lie law. 2/27/10 - SF Chronicle - CW Nevius "Walk on Haight converts Newsom to sit/lie" Summary: Mayor was reluctant to support Sit-Lie law until a walk in the Haight with his family revealed drug use on the sidewalk. 2/26/10 - SF Examiner - Joshua Sabatini "Sit-lie battle enters arena of the supes" Summary: Board of Supervisors will debate proposed Sit-Lie law. 2/26/10 - SF Examiner - Brent Begin "Cameras expose Haight crime" Summary: Video camera have been installed in the Haight as a response to crime attributed to the street thugs that are giving momentum to the Sit-Lie law proponents. 2/25/10 - SF Chronicle - John Cote "City Inside: Newsom blasts Coalition on Homelessness" Summary: Newsom lashes out at Coalition during Project Homeless Connect for not being there helping, and Coalition responds they are working in the legal section. 2/24/10 - SF Chronicle - Heather Knight "S.F. on pace with 10-year plan on homeless" Summary: The Ten Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness set a goal of adding 3,000 housing units by 2013, and the city is half way there, but still needs family housing and services. 2/5/10 - SF Examiner - John Upton "New housing planned for homeless veterans" Summary: 150 Otis shelter will close in July to provide new housing for veterans. 1/28/10 - SF Examiner - Brent Begin "Gascon seeking common ground on “sit-lie”" Summary: Police Chief Gascon meets with Coalition On Homelessness director Jennifer Friedenbach to discuss the sit-lie law. 1/21/10 - SF Chronicle - Kevin Fagan "San Francisco marchers want affordable housing" Summary: Hundreds of affordable-housing advocates from all over the West Coast marched through downtown San Francisco to call for billions of dollars to be spent on helping lower-income people pay for housing. 1/19/10 - SF Chronicle - Thomas Wong "Sit-lie ordinance not the answer for the Haight" Summary: The sit-lie ordinance has many hurdles to overcome before it's a law, and may even be overkill for a problem that comes from a specific type of roving Mad Max-type thug, and not the homeless. 1/16/10 - SF Chronicle - C.W. Nevius "Haight's up in arms over street thugs" Summary: The presence of aggressive street panhandlers, usually young people with dogs, is fueling a community outrage for the city to do something, possibly even passing a Sit-Lie law. 1/14/10 - SF Examiner - Mike Aldax "Newsom pledges to cut homeless population" Summary: Mayor Newsom pledges to cut homeless population in half on city streets by end of year. 1/11/10 - SF Chronicle - Heather Knight "Library adds social worker to assist homeless" Summary: The Main Library at the Civic Center has added a social worker to deal with the presence of homeless using the library for cleaning and other uses. 1/10/10 - SF Chronicle - Mission Local "Women Seek Stability in SROs" Summary: The Mission Hotel provides flat-rate rooms and supportive services. 1/5/10 - SF Chronicle - C.W. Nevius "Police chief won't take criticism lying down" Summary: Police Chief Gascon supports a Sit-Lie law to address the street thug issue in the Haight, and challenges the Bay Guardians allegation that the law would lead to round ups of the homeless. 1/5/10 - SF Chronicle - Obituary "Eric Bayer" Summary: Celebrated and much loved social worker and HOT team member Eric Bayer passed away. Category:Media